All courier and delivery companies experience situations where a package cannot be successfully delivered and it is necessary to notify the addressee that a package delivery was attempted, so that there is a good probability that delivery may ultimately be accomplished. The present methods and forms for facilitating a notification and re-delivery are not as effective as desired, and do not allow for ready automated capture and utilization of non-delivery information. Typically the delivery person needs to hand write on a label/form left with the addressee, make a note on the package, or in a manifest, and attempt delivery at some later date.
According to the present invention a business form and a method of utilization thereof are provided which greatly facilitate accurate delivery of a package when the first delivery attempt is unsuccessful. A business form and method according to the invention are specifically designed to provide for automated capture of information relating to non-delivery, and provide a very simple yet effective and accurate mechanism for notification of the addressee, accurate tracking of the package status, and automated entry of tracking information into a database.
According to one aspect of the present invention a business form is provided comprising the following components: a sheet of imagable material (preferably paper) having top and bottom edges, first and second side edges, a front face, and a rear face. At least two lines of weakness (such as perforation lines, score lines, diecuts, etc.) formed in the sheet extending generally parallel to at least one of the top and bottom edges, and defining the sheet into at least first, second and third sections, the second section between the first and third sections, the first section containing or adjacent the top edge, and the third section containing or adjacent the bottom edge. Repositional pressure sensitive adhesive disposed on the third and second section rear faces, and pressure sensitive adhesive disposed on the first section rear face. Indicia imaged on the first, second, and third section front faces. And, a release liner covering the repositional pressure sensitive adhesive on the second section rear face.
The pressure sensitive adhesive disposed on the first section rear face is also preferably repositional adhesive, and although in some cases a release liner may be used to cover the repositional adhesive on each of the sections. In the preferred embodiment the business forms are provided in a pad and the first and third faces are devoid of a release liner. The indicia imaged on the first, second and third section front faces preferably includes bar code (or other machine-readable) indicia that is in common on each of the section front faces, and indicia imaged on the second and third faces typically includes a toll-free telephone number. When the business form is in a pad with a plurality of other business forms, identical except for some indicia (such as identification, human-readable and machine-readable indicia) thereon, the repositional adhesive on the first and third sections is in contact with the front faces of the first and third sections, respectively of another business form in the pad. The adhesive on the first section rear face is ultimately moved into an engagement with, and is held to, a package. The term "package" as used in the present specification in claims means any material for which attempted delivery by a courier or delivery service is feasible, including envelopes containing only documents, physical merchandise, whether boxed in containers or not, etc.
Typically the business form sheet is quadrate and the top and bottom edges are substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the side edges. The form may consist of the first, second and third sections, or other sections can be provided with other attempted delivery information, or for other purposes. The indicia on the third section front face typically includes human-readable indicia indicating the first attempt to deliver a package, and the indicia on the second section front face typically includes human-readable indicia indicating second attempt to deliver a package. Machine-readable indicia corresponding to this human-readable indicia also is preferably provided. The first section also preferably includes non-delivery machine and human-readable indicia imaged on the front face thereof, this indicia comprising at least three different machine-readable indicia elements, and associated human-readable indicia elements, giving potential reasons for non-delivery of the package, such as "wrong address", "consignee not at home", "office closed", "damaged", "refused delivery", "wrong route", "non-deliverable (no time)", etc. Business forms may automatically be applied to all packages to be delivered, and have the same tracking number as those packages, but more desirably the forms are only utilized when non-delivery of a package results.
According to another aspect of the present invention a package delivery facilitating business form is provided comprising (or consisting of) the following components: A sheet of imagable material having top and bottom edges, first and second side edges, a front face, and a rear face. At least one line of weakness formed in the sheet extending generally parallel to at least one of the top and bottom edges, and defining the sheet into at least first and second sections, the first section containing or adjacent the top edge. Repositional pressure sensitive adhesive disposed on the second section rear face, and pressure sensitive adhesive dispossed on the first section rear face. Indicia imaged on the first and second section front faces, including common machine-readable indicia. Reason for non-delivery machine and human-readable indicia imaged on the first section front face, comprising at least three different machine-readable indicia elements, and associated human-readable indicia elements, giving potential reasons for non-delivery of a package.
A release liner may be provided covering the repositional pressure sensitive adhesive in the second section rear face, and the first section adhesive may be an engagement with the package to be delivered. The business form may further comprise a third section separated by a second line of weakness (such as a perforation line) from the second section, and having a rear face with repositional adhesive, and a front face with indicia image thereon. The indicia image on the front face of each of the second and third sections preferably comprises human-readable indicia indicating an attempt to deliver a package, include indicia such as "first attempt", "second attempt", a date or time when redelivery may be attempted again. According to another aspect of the present invention a method of facilitating accurate delivery of a package utilizing a business form having a plurality of adhesive-backed sections including a first section having machine-readable identification indicia. And, reason for non-delivery machine and human-readable indicia, comprising at least three different machine-readable indicia elements, and associated human-readable indicia elements, giving potential reasons for non-delivery of a package, imaged thereon, and also including another section is provided. A method comprises the steps of: unsuccessfully attempting to deliver a package at a first location. Scanning the machine readable identification indicia and the appropriate, selected, reason for non-delivery machine-readable indicia on the business form first section, to read these indicia into a database. Separating another section of the business form from the first section, and using the adhesive backing of another section, securing it to a surface at the first location. Securing the business form first section, using the adhesive backing of the first section, to the package unsuccessfully delivered. Transporting the unsuccessfully delivered package with first section of the business form applied thereto to a second location awaiting attempted re-delivery or return of the package.
The business form typically includes second and third sections, the second and third sections having repositional adhesive and the second section having a release liner covering the repositional adhesive; and step (c) is practiced to separate and secure the third section. The method also typically comprises the further steps of: (f) Unsuccessfully attempting to deliver the package at the first location a second time. (g) Separating the second section of the business form from the first section, removing the release liner from the adhesive backing of the second section, and using the adhesive backing of the second section, securing it to a surface at the first location. And, (h) transporting the unsuccessfully delivered package with the first section of the business form applied thereto to the second or to a third location awaiting attempted re-delivery or return of the package. A business form may be provided in a pad of like business forms, with different identification indicia, and there is the further step of removing the business form from the pad of business forms prior to the practice of step (d).
Another section of the business form typically includes blank areas for potential other delivery dates or times, and there is typically the further step of handwriting a potential other delivery date or time in the blank areas prior to step (a). The form will typically also include a toll-free number requesting the addressee/consignee to call the toll-free number if the potential delivery date or time is not feasible.
It is the primary object of the present invention to facilitate the accurate and effective notification of every delivery of packages if an unsuccessful attempt is made to deliver the package. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.